Gareth Davies: Thank you. These proposals didn't come from Government. It was the Electoral Commission who suggested the need for voter ID, and it's not a Tory plot to deny left-leaning voters from taking part in elections. There is no need for these Machiavellian machinations, because the Labour Party are very good at turning off voters all by themselves. You just need to look at the fall of the red wall...
Gareth Davies: I can imagine I have. [Laughter.]
Gareth Davies: I think it's a bit excessive, so I will carry on. Time's marching on.
Gareth Davies: Okay, good to know. Thank you. We'd put measures in place to deter such attacks and to prevent such attacks. Our voting system here in Wales may not have experienced widespread voting fraud, but we use the exact same system that they do on the other side of Offa's Dyke. And there have been numerous examples of voter fraud in England; I think it's the Tower Hamlets scandal in 2014 that springs...
Gareth Davies: What steps is the Welsh Government taking to ensure there are no disruptions to education provision due to COVID-19 during the current academic year?
Gareth Davies: Diolch, Llywydd, and it's great to be back in the Chamber. First Minister, unfortunately, the support services available in Wales continue to be woefully inadequate and we are letting our victims down. And whereas we are getting better, we still have a fair way to go. Trauma support has such long waiting lists it may as well not be there. So, First Minister, do you agree that, alongside the...
Gareth Davies: Thank you for your statement this afternoon, Minister; it's good to see you in person after several weeks of more Zoom meetings than you can count. Integrating care should be about the outcomes, so why are we integrating care if not to provide top-quality care to every citizen of Wales? Healthcare needs and social care needs are so intertwined, both on a patient level and an organisational...
Gareth Davies: 1. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Climate Change on the impact of pesticides on bee health? OQ57566
Gareth Davies: I appreciate that answer, Minister. The impact that pesticides are having upon our pollinators is a very real concern for many of my constituents. Fruit farming plays a big role for many in the Vale of Clwyd, including the Denbigh plum, which I often mention, and without bees and other pollinators, there would be no fruit orchards. While many, including the local authorities—and can I...
Gareth Davies: Diolch yn fawr iawn, Deputy Llywydd, and I'm honoured to formally move the motion, tabled in the name of Darren Millar, and to open this debate on such an important but difficult topic. Like many of us here in this Chamber, I pledged my support for the WAVE Trust's target of a 70 per cent reduction in adverse childhood experiences by the end of this decade. During the last Senedd, almost...
Gareth Davies: Thank you, Joyce Watson, for taking the intervention. Do you think it's appropriate to over-politicise this debate? We're discussing a very sensitive and important subject and a lot of the contributions today have been on the message of working together. Jack Sargeant mentioned it; Laura Anne Jones, Janet Finch-Saunders—
Gareth Davies: Do you think it's appropriate to over-politicise this, given the nature of what we're talking about?
Gareth Davies: Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Three weeks ago, the UK's COVID-19 infection prevention and control cell issued new guidance on the use of respiratory protective equipment for front-line healthcare staff. This led to the UK Government taking the decision to allow all healthcare staff in England access to higher levels of PPE, namely FFP2 and FFP3 masks, to ensure that staff and patients are...
Gareth Davies: I thank you for your statement this afternoon, Minister. I think we've yet to fully comprehend the long-term impact that a COVID infection has on some people. What we do know is that, sadly, far too many people have been left debilitated long after the virus has left their system. Minister, emerging evidence has highlighted the similarity of brain scans in some COVID patients and those...
Gareth Davies: It's a pleasure to take part in such an important debate. It's what's widely considered as one of the highlights of the Welsh political calendar. Four weeks ago, I was highly critical of the impact this budget would have on our health and care services. During those four weeks, the situation has become much clearer. The situation facing health and social care is bleak, and the impact this...
Gareth Davies: Diolch, Llywydd. It was more of a speech, I think, than an intervention. But this is the private sector that makes up 80 per cent. It's not just a tiny little drop in the ocean; it is the ocean. Shortages in the care sector are having a debilitating impact on our NHS. As the Minister herself pointed out, we have around 1,000 medically fit people in our hospital beds unable to be discharged...
Gareth Davies: It's a pleasure to take part in this debate this afternoon, and I'm proudly wearing my Marie Curie badge, the daffodil, in support of their work. Sadly, 50 per cent of the population will receive a diagnosis of cancer at some point in their lifetime, and we all know someone who has had cancer, and tragically, far too many of us know someone who has passed away. Wales has some of the worst...
Gareth Davies: 1. How does the Welsh Government plan to maximise shared prosperity fund investment in the Vale of Clwyd? OQ57678
Gareth Davies: Thank you for that answer, First Minister. My constituents have already benefited from the UK Government's levelling-up agenda. Projects in the vale had a share of nearly £3 million in the past year through the precursor to the shared prosperity fund. The community renewal fund has brought in much needed cash for projects across my patch, from youth projects to employment schemes and...
Gareth Davies: Thank you very much, Commissioner, and thank you for your statement this afternoon, Deputy Minister. And it's really disappointing that you continue to ignore the advice of everyone concerned with social care. The pitiful wage being offered will not attract people into the care sector, neither will the £1,000 bonus you unveiled, with much fanfare. With household bills the way they are...
